Seeking Happiness (WIP)
by ulyferal
Summary: With the death or incarceration of the omegas, the city is finally enjoying a golden era. Time to seek some personal relationships at last.
1. Chapter 1

**SEEKING HAPPINESS**

**Chapter 1: The Golden Era Begins**

_**A/N: Been a long time since I've written a new MPREG story. This one will be a big surprise to many who love my Feral/T-Bone matches and its not what you think. Hope you enjoy it. WARNING: Very graphic sex, slash, MPREG coming up in the next chapters.**_

Commander Ulysses Feral, Chief Enforcer of Megapolis, stared out the wall of windows at the huge sprawling city. It had once been simply Megakat City but it had seriously grown past that title and had been changed to what it was now. More than five billion Kats lived and worked here. The airport had to be enlarged to handle the increased traffic of visitors . . . some several million . . . that did business or acted the tourist here every year.

Once the omega problem had been dealt with, the city simply exploded in size and popularity. With its modern technology, warm moderate temperatures, and active night life, it was the mecca for all Kats living on Aristal.

Sighing, he turned away from the skyline that boasted many new towers that were higher than his Enforcer building and returned to his desk. Halfheartedly, he sat down and flicked on his computer screen. Grimacing, he stared at the first of many performance reports he had to do. He dreaded this part of his job but he couldn't put it off any longer, yet his mind refused to settle down. It kept drifting off into the past . . . more often lately, he noted guiltily.

When had he become so restless? It felt like he was missing a deadline of some kind and it made him antsy.

He didn't think it was the job. Ever since the last of the omegas had been dispatched finally, the city had found the peace it sought for so very long. His job became what it was supposed to be, simple management of the criminal element which consisted of drug and slave rings, mob activity, property and personal theft, rape, killings, accidents, and the occasional mistakes from the labs and Pumadyne . . . nothing his Enforcers couldn't handle with ease. For a city this size, the crime rate was no more than some of their sister city's . . . as it should be.

The SWAT Kats were seen less and less which was a relief to the city's chronically lean coffers. When they did appear, they did rescue work of the more spectacular kind (bridge collapses, flooding from the occasional tsunamis, shipping accidents, and other large scale disasters) and the bigger mistakes from Pumadyne.

Because they no longer did any property damage or broke the law, Feral and his Enforcers were more tolerant of their presence and actually worked with them often as not. Surprisingly, an easier relationship had been struck between himself and the pair, something he never thought could happen but he could thank his niece, Felina for that.

Ah, Felina . . . the greatest treasure in his life. She'd been a regular firebrand taking no shit from any male as she moved up the ranks of the Enforcers. She'd been one of only a tiny handful of females within the Enforcers when she arrived. Today, females counted for more than half the force thanks to her leading the way.

Felina was now, officially, his second-in-command . . . a far cry from her humble beginnings as his second assistant and personal pilot. When she'd reached the rank of captain, he'd sent her off to command a precinct house where she showed to everyone just how great a commander she was. Her house had the highest arrest record than any other in the city. From there she moved to commander of a chopper squadron then to the position she now held.

~*O*~

To reach this mecca of peaceful prosperity had required Feral and the SWAT Kats to give up their moral and legal rules for dealing with the omegas. After all, the strict rules of the law that he'd been trained to follow were of no use in stemming the escalating toll in lives and property destruction the omegas inflicted on the city due to their chronic ability to escape from justice and prison. So the defenders finally gave in to the inevitable and fought dirty.

The first step toward ending the threat led Feral to push aggressively for a more secure prison system. He made a nuisance of himself with the city council and wouldn't back down until he finally got the funds he needed. It helped that Callie was on his side as well. Thanks to their persistence, Megakat Prison and Alkatraz Island were completely fortified and upgraded, becoming two of the tightest and most escape-proof prisons in the world. Additionally, Feral rewrote the procedures his officers were to follow when escorting prisoners to the Enforcer building, to court, and to prison; areas where prisoners were very successful in making their escapes. Prisoner escorts were to be heavily armored and armed with the latest weaponry and out-numbered the prison five to one (or more depending on the threat level of the prisoner). Deadly force was allowed. That last stricture made most normal prisoners quite docile and gave the omegas pause.

Second step was initiated by the SWAT Kats, namely Razor. Though harder for his conscious to abide, he made the decision to make a small store of lethal ammo. He and his partner still used non-lethal ammo for the lower grade criminals but didn't hesitate to switch to lethal for the omegas. They were simply tired of the constant loss of life from the omegas depredations. Their new motto was "better dead than alive" and they had Feral's full support for that stance. Officially, the Chief Enforcer had to appear to object to their change in tactics but unofficially, Feral carefully covered up their deliberate solution to their omega problem with cleverly worded mission reports and quick closing of the cases.

Their third and final step was taking on the omegas offensively rather than defensively. They no longer waited for the omegas to appear, actively seeking them out instead. The first to feel the Enforcers and SWAT Kat's change of tactics was Dr. Viper. With the aid of Professor Hackle, Razor developed a device that would track the lizard, thus allowing them to find his lair. During a recent battle, Razor fired the tiny tracking device into Viper's scaly hide then when he escaped the scene (as he invariably did), the SWAT Kats simply followed his trail right into the swamp. Once their quarry was inside his lab at the heart of the swamp, the SWAT Kats blew him away and his lab. There wasn't anything left to bury but a piece of his tail which they left in a box on Feral's desk, a note attached with the ominous words: "That's the first one!"

Feral grinned wolfishly at the grisly item, showing a lot of teeth. He was very pleased and not the least bit dismayed by the gift. Smiling the whole time, he wrote up the 'doctored' report on the death and closed the case.

Time for us to regain our city, he thought, and I don't care how it's done. That's one for them but I hope I get lucky and catch the next.

And so it began.

~*O*~

Over the next two years, the number of omegas began to whittle down. Feral got his wish and with his Enforcers captured Hard Drive and secretly destroyed the surge coat. Incarcerated in the newly designed and secured Megakat Prison, Hard Drive was in for life sentence with no hope of escape by Dark Kat or anyone else.

Another omega Feral was able to dispose of was the Demon-In-The-Box, otherwise known as Mad Kat. He never felt comfortable having that thing in his evidence lockup so he prevailed upon Dr. Sinian to find some way or place to permanently remove the threat from their world. It took her more than a year, so while he waited, Feral wisely had the box given a cell all its own at Megakat Prison. Dr. Sinian finally discovered a spell from one of Queen Callista's spell books that sounded like it would do what they wanted but it required someone with a magical core. Since it had been proven that Ms. Briggs was a descendent of the queen, and even though her magical core was dormant, Dr. Sinian felt it was worth a try. Ms. Briggs agreed with her and so, to their intense relief, the spell she read from the book did send the deadly box into another dimension, one barren of life. Three omegas gone!

The next target was Dark Kat. Fighting together, the SWAT Kats and Feral fought an epic battle against the mutant looking kat when he appeared in the city one dark, rainy night attempting to steal some nuclear material (again). More prepared and using far stronger and deadlier weaponry, the defenders managed to chase Dark Kat all the way back to his favored hideout, yet another dead volcano. Rather than try and dig the omega out, Feral helped the SWAT Kats level the mountain, bringing it down on the criminal, his deadly weapons, and his creeplings. They also insured there was no other avenues of escape (like a hidden underground passageway or river) before they felt the monster was finally dead and not returning to this world any time soon. What was very satisfying to Feral, T-Bone and Razor was the last image of Dark Kat's face they saw on their comm screens just before the mountain came crashing down. DK's expression was one of horror and surprise. Obviously, he never dreamed the city defenders would simply kill him outright which was why they succeeded this time.

Before leaving the now flattened mountain, Feral ordered his Enforcers back to base then addressed the SWAT Kats over a private frequency they'd established some years back. "That's the last omega and I want to thank you for a job well done. Peace is finally ours."

A triumphant "YES!" made Feral's ears ring and put a grin on his craggy face.

"Well, not quite, Commander," came the cautious voice of the gunner. "There's still the Pastmaster, though we haven't seen him in over seven years, the Metallikats and Turmoil, if she's still on the loose, that is."

Feral's grin widened even though the SWAT Kats couldn't see it. "I agree on that sorcerer but as for the last three, I can safely guarantee they will no longer be bothering us." His tone reflecting satisfaction.

"Oh?"

"He may hate me for a long time to come, but with a court order in my paws I confiscated the Metallikats memory disks from Professor Hackle. To salve his conscious and anyone else that might have objected to outright killing them, we had a formal trial where they were convicted and the sentence carried out within a week. I had the great satisfaction of watching those two disks be melted into slag."

Another cheer from the pilot filled the airwaves.

Razor whistled and shouted with glee. "Radical, Commander!"

Yeah, what a sneaky thing to do and I only wished you'd done it sooner." T-Bone chimed in, laughing in relief.

"Ah well, you know we all have our breaking points and I just happened to have reached mine," Feral said offhandedly.

In a smirking voice, T-Bone said, "Yeah, we know all about that. So what did you mean about Turmoil?"

"Ah yes, her . . . she's in a distant prison for crimes she'd committed in her home country. I heard through the international grapevine that she'll not see the light of day until she's far too old to be a threat any longer. This prison is tighter than ours and most feared amongst criminals."

A sigh of regret surprised Feral.

"You didn't know her like I did..." T-Bone said, quietly. "I wished she'd turned herself around but I guess she loved the life of an air pirate too much. Anyway, except for the Pastmaster, it looks like no more high profile threats at last. A celebration is called for."

"I agree and I think the Mayor won't hesitate to initiate a city-wide party to do it once I report this to him. Be watching the news tonight. I want to wish you a relaxing evening and many more to come. Looks like we'll not be seeing much of each other from now on, either."

A chuckle from the pilot told him T-Bone was amused by that statement. "Ah now, Commander... just because the omegas are gone doesn't mean we'll vanish completely from crime fighting completely. There's always something for us to do."

Feral laughed and agreed that was certainly true. On that positive note, the three parted ways.

As Feral had predicted, the Mayor called a news conference immediately to tell the city the good news and by that evening the celebrating was in full swing. Even fireworks were shot off to the exuberant cheers of the populace. Everyone showing extreme relief at regaining their freedom from the constant threat caused by the omegas.

~*O*~

The beginning of the golden era meant people could finally get on with their lives, especially those in the upper strata of society including its city officials.

Having played second fiddle to the city's bumbling mayor long enough, Calico Briggs made a surprise decision. Since it was she who had truly run the city from behind the scenes, she thought she might as well have the authority to go along with it. A recent poll showed the people of Megakat City seemed to be thinking the same thing so on the next election, Briggs was voted in by a landslide much to former Mayor Manx's shocked surprise and dismay.

Many hard feelings lingered against Manx thanks to Callie's 'tell all' campaign. Because of that, Manx felt it prudent he leave the city that had been his home for more than three decades. No one shed a tear at his departure.

Under Callie's command, the 'good old boy' council found themselves being ousted right and left. Everyone was tired of their chronic failures to curb the former mayor's excesses and manage the city needs responsibly. With a new council, Calico Briggs instituted ways to increase the city's coffers with advertising campaigns directed at bringing in new business and tourism.

Of course, with the removal of the Mayor, the other high positions had to be either renewed or replaced. Having got on better terms during the last decade with Feral, Callie reinstated him as Chief Enforcer. Then in quick sequence, she selected a female deputy mayor from the city prosecutor's office by the name of Loren Furlight . . . a brilliant lawyer who helped with Callie's mayoral campaign, and promoted the Assistant Prosecutor Jeffrey Evanston as the new City Prosecutor as he'd proven how effective he was in processing cases quickly and with airtight evidence, far outshining his more lazy predecessor. It helped that he worked well with the Enforcers too.

The smart, handsome, and redheaded Evanston had impressed someone else as well. Feral's niece, Felina had taken a shine to the tom ever since she'd crossed paths with him during court cases that involved the two of them. Because of her duties, their courtship was several years long but when the city achieved peace, they felt it safe enough to tie the knot much to Feral's pleased relief. Her happiness was all he cared about so it was a joy to see her lovely form coming down the aisle on her father's arm at the well-attended wedding. The SWAT Kats had even been invited, both hooting and whistling when the pair had their first kiss. Not long after, Felina was promoted to Lt. Commander and took her place as her uncle's second-in-command.

~*O*~

For a short while after these events, Feral was on top of the world and busy getting his Enforcers outfitted with new equipment, weapons, and seriously upgraded training courtesy of the city council's generous budget increase for the Enforcers. That took him a good year to get in place and to ensure all their orders with Pumadyne were funded and placed at the top of the list . . . no more waiting years to get their needs met.

However, when his forces were working like a well oiled machine and peace had brought needed prosperity, Feral found himself restless and yearning for something he couldn't quite define. After fifteen years of strife and four years of peace, at no time did he take care of his own wants and needs. Now with no serious threats to concern him, he had nothing but time on his paws in his off hours and they weighed heavily on him.

That isn't to say he hadn't sought companionship, but it consisted of only short term relationships, one night stands and even celibacy. All of which had left him chronically lonely but he was normally too busy to care. That had changed leaving him restless, lonely and at odds with himself. Staring at his computer screen again, the words on the screen nothing but a blur, he thought about what he wanted.

Time to get my life in order and find a friend! He thought, decisively. Mind made up, he settled down to work so he could leave on time. He had plans to make for the evening and they didn't involve staying at home.


	2. Chapter 2

**SEEKING HAPPINESS**

**CHAPTER 2: Hunting Companionship**

Feral's desire to find companionship became the buzz of high society thanks to there being nothing more news worthy around the city at the moment with it being so quiet of late. This left reporters hunting for stories in their least favorite area...high society doings. There were already plenty of news rags that did that beat already but work was work. So kats in high positions found their personal life even more under the public eye than normal much to their annoyance.

However, Feral wasn't one of them. Used to the press hounding him, he blithely went about his courting, ignoring the probing eyes of the cameras pointed his way. However, being skilled at subterfuge in his job as Chief Enforcer, when he wanted privacy he had ways of slipping out of view.

Being more visible now as he went out regularly, he could be seen surrounded by press as he squired beautiful she-kats, famous or not, to fund raisers, the opera, clubs, and fancy restaurants. But it was when he also chose to go out with many a handsome tom, that set the ordinary katizen's tongues to wagging. None had known he enjoyed variety.

Speculation was rife! Was the Commander searching for a mate? Or was he simply making up for time lost protecting the city. Feral never offered an explanation, leaving them to gossip and speculate all they wanted.

o*o*o*o

"Will you look at this? He's going out with that actor, Jason Windborne now," Jake snorted, pointing at the cover page of a mag he'd picked up at the store earlier in the day.

"Who?" Chance asked as he lounged on their new couch, TV controller in paw. He looked over his shoulder at his friend, a questioning frown on his face.

"Feral! He's made the news again."

Chance rolled his eyes and laughed. Turning back to the TV he said dismissively, "Well, let him. He deserves to get out and strut his stuff. I bet he's not had a date in years, probably worse than us. And if they knew who we were, we too would be followed about so count your blessings that you and your date will be left alone."

Jake tossed the mag to the table and went to the hall mirror to check his appearance one last time. "Oh, I am." Like Feral, he was out on the dating circuit. He'd been doing it for several months now. Like Feral, they weren't needed as much protecting the city so they had time to pursue a personal life.

Satisfied with his appearance, Jake picked up his leather jacket laying draped over the back of the couch and pulled it on. Eyeing his partner, he asked, "You haven't been going out lately. No one catch your fancy after that last item dropped you?"

"No. Just seems pointless," the tabby admitted, tilting his head toward the ceiling to stare at the pattern the lowering sun was making on it.

Jake stared down at his friend thoughtfully.

o*O*o

They had made the most of their new found freedom from crime fighting. Their first step was to get out of debt. Jake did that by using his call sign to sell a great many of his more benign inventions on line. With the money rolling in, he paid their debt to the Enforcers then with Chance's agreement and encouragement, bought a deserted island with its own extinct volcano. This he converted into their new headquarters. Of course, carving out a mountain is no easy task when secrecy is required but with the help of Cybertron II they borrowed from Professor Hackle, the job was done in less than a month.

With a safer, more secure hangar, they moved all their equipment, the jet, and many of their important personal items to their new headquarters, sealed up the old one, then closed the garage for good after making arrangements with other similar businesses to take their old clients. Callie had finally traded in her old sedan so didn't need them any longer which made the break easier.

However, they had no desire to live at the hangar as that wouldn't allow them to begin entertaining new friends so they went house hunting and had found themselves a really nice little beach house loaded with great amenities; a large kitchen with the latest appliances, two roomy bedrooms with their own bathrooms, a covered patio for BBQ's with hot tub, a small beach that lead to the ocean, no close neighbors, two car garage, and a boat shed where their small, fast speeder was kept.

Their new headquarters was just as nice as their home but more functional. It had a workout area, danger room, design lab for the red tom to build and sell his new ideas; a giant hangar that held the Turbokat and all their other specialty vehicles; a garage where Chance designed and built specialized motorcycles that he sold on the internet (for which he'd made his reputation as the premiere designer of stunning machines that were much sought after); and a small apartment for when they had to stay overnight.

But despite the new careers, they still kept themselves in fighting trim for their continued war on crime as the SWAT Kats. As T-Bone had told Feral when the last of the heavy hitter were gone, they weren't ready to turn in their hero titles yet. To keep busy when crime wasn't present, they had a paw in aiding the Enforcers during major accidents and incidents caused by rogue inventors and Pumadyne mistakes.

They should have been happy and more relaxed and in a way, they were but it wasn't enough. After three years of peace and getting used to doing other things, they soon realized it wasn't enough. So, just like Feral, they were going out and seeing other people.

However, despite their best efforts at trying to integrate into society again, they discovered it wasn't as easy as they'd hoped it would be. Having been each others constant companion and only friends for a decade, they found their secret identities still held them back from making a relationship outside their friendship stick. They were too hyper aware despite finally getting a break from the constant stress of fighting crime. This and their total reliance on each other seemed to be the reason why they couldn't seem to achieve a relationship that would last.

Despite that creeping realization or in spite of it, Jake was determined to keep trying to make some kind of connection with someone else no matter how long it took...even though he'd been trying for at least a year now.

Chance, however, had finally lost heart. His last relationship with a beautiful and bright she-kat had ended last month. Though they parted amiably it had still left him depressed. He was frustrated with himself. Why was it so hard to be with someone other than Jake? That question had haunted his nights of late.

o*O*o

"Still troubled, eh?" Jake asked, pulling away from his trip down memory lane.

"Yeah, aren't you?"

"Somewhat, but I'm not ready to toss in the towel yet. I still haven't explored enough outside myself to be certain what is troubling me so I'll keep at it until I have some kind of answer."

"And if you don't find one?"

"Then it's time to seek professional help."

Chance's head jerked up. Scowling at his friend, he snapped, "I am not seeing a shrink!"

"Nothing so drastic, buddy. Just a counselor."

The tabby shook his head firmly. "Nope! Not happening."

Jake rolled his eyes. "Chance, we can't go on being unhappy and neither of us has an answer as to why we shouldn't be enjoying our life now. It isn't healthy nor a good idea to ignore if we're to remain effective as the SWAT Kats," he said seriously.

Chance's shoulders slumped. Jake was right but he hated the idea of letting someone pick his feelings apart.

"Even if you don't go, I am seriously considering it if my efforts to pull out of this strange funk doesn't work. Something is holding us back and I need to know why."

"Yeah, I can understand that but I'm not ready to seek that route yet," Chance said. "Let's not talk about this now, you'll be late for your date."

"You're right, I should be going. Try not to obsess about it, buddy and I'll see you later," Jake said as he headed for the door.

"Not if you find your date more than a little interesting," Chance smirked.

Jake laughed and waved to his friend as he went out the door leading to the garage, closing it behind him. Parked next to Chance's sporty new, dark blue pickup truck was his pride and joy...a new, black jeep he loved madly.

~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~

Chance heard the quiet purr of the jeep start up and drive away until only the soothing wash of the waves from the bay outside intruded on his peace. He stared moodily at the TV that he wasn't really watching. Clicking the TV off abruptly, he tossed the controller to the coffee table and stood up.

Passing through the dining room then the kitchen, he went out the backdoor to stand and stare at the setting sun and the waves rolling up the beach.

Why was he unhappy? He'd asked himself that a lot of late. Surprisingly, his thoughts drifted to the doings of the Chief Enforcer. Seems Feral is seeking something or someone as well and hasn't found it either. Wonder what his reason is? How odd to be thinking about him of all people but then maybe it isn't.

He's been fighting a long time against the omegas too, married to his job. Must not have gone out much as it would be too dangerous for anyone he might be interested in and he'd never be able to offer stability as he was always on call and his job came first.

Wonder if he's having some of the same issues we are? Naw that's not right, he doesn't have a partner...he's completely alone. Wait! How do I know he doesn't have close friends too? We don't know anything about his personal life but then if he did have friends you would think the press would have dug it up and reported it now that they're watching him like a hawk. Could it be he's truly alone.

Chance shook his head. Geez, I must be really out of it to be thinking so much about that stiff pain in the neck. Shoving the disturbing thoughts from his head, he turned and went back inside. Maybe a bowl of ice cream and a movie would help him relax enough to get some sleep. Worth a try, he thought.


	3. Chapter 3

**SEEKING HAPPINESS**

**CHAPTER 3: Jake's Date**

Jake pulled up to a nice apartment building and was about to get out when he was surprised by his date of the evening. She gave him a bright smile and quickly jumped in.

"Hi! I'm Gennella. You must be Jake. I'm so excited to be going to the Tiger's Lair. I've heard so much about it and I also heard the actor, Jason Winborne will be there tonight. I can hardly stand it! Meeting all those important and famous people . . . I'm just speechless! So glad you had reservations because I heard it takes months to get in . . . "

Only a little taken aback by the she-kat's forwardness and machine gun style of speaking, Jake smiled shyly and waited patiently for her to finish. But she continued to run on and on excitedly about the club, her friends, and anything else that popped into her head.

Almost rolling his eyes, Jake thought he should just get them going or they'd miss their reservation so pulled out into traffic and headed uptown, his date not missing a beat in her one-sided conversation.

"I hear he's going out with Commander Feral . . . I wonder what he sees in him? I hope I can get his autograph . . . he's just my fav actor of all time and . . . " Gennella rattled on.

Jake had already partly tuned her out. Crud, what a chatterbox . . . I have a feeling this is going to be a very boring and one-sided date, he sighed inwardly.

Twenty minutes later, his ear nearly bent closed from his date's incessant chattering, Jake was relieved to be at their destination. He pulled up to the main entrance and handed the keys to the valet waiting there. He handed his date out of the vehicle politely, she smiled and continued her nearly endless stream of words.

"Ohhh . . . look at all the beautiful dresses . . . I feel a little outclassed," she said in a softer tone, eyeing all the upper class people around them.

Jake wasn't awed at all. Though he wasn't dressed in high fashion, he looked like what he was, a wealthy tom about town. His choice tonight was a smart pair of deep blue chinos, a comfortable baby blue polo shirt open at the neck, and a pair of Macon Calf Boots on his feet. He'd decided to leave his zipped black leather bomber jacket in his jeep.

Though he wasn't known as the top weapons designer of the world, that distinction belonged to his alter ego; he was top designer of gadgets useful to the everyday Kat and cheap enough for any budget which endeared him to the public. This made him a well known and popular figure about town which was how he could dress as he pleased and still receive the best service at all the big name places around Megapolis.

Gennella had been right, it did take months to get into the Tiger's Lair but he got it in one day. They always kept reservations open for all the big shots and he was pleased to be considered one of them at last. He'd begun to feel rather over shadowed by his secret identity and needed to make a name for himself as Jake Clawson. And though it had taken a couple of decades or so, he'd finally achieved fame and fortune.

He took his date's arm and walked her into the club where he was recognized immediately and swept quickly toward an intimate seating area where the bay was on display through dozens of large windows. This evening, the slowly setting sun made the sky glow with reds, golds, and oranges and reflected that glory in the water lapping against the building adding to the ambiance of the place.

"Ohhh, this is so romantic . . . " Gennella cooed excitedly. At least she had slowed down her incessant talking . . . enough to allow him to enjoy the beauty and quiet elegance of his favorite haunt.

Normally, he'd be giving his date all his attention but she was too overcome by her surroundings to pay him much attention, turning her head like an owl to take in all the famous people sitting near them. Feeling a trifle embarrassed by her behavior, he turned his attention to the menu for something else to do. He didn't really need to read it as he knew it by heart, only during the change of seasons did he pay close heed to what it said as that was when the chef would bring out some new concoctions for the clientele to try.

This, unfortunately, wasn't one of those times. The normal fare of the Tiger's Lair Restaurant was Thai which he adored and why he brought his dates here. However, the four-star restaurant wasn't the only thing the Tiger's Lair boasted. It had many other incredible venues within its doors which was why so many of the elite loved to go there and why it took up nearly four city blocks.

Besides the restaurant with its excellent view of the bay, there was a grand wedding chapel with all the trimmings provided for a price, a large spectacular ball room, a dance club that offered a different genre of music every night of the week, a casino, a pool and spa, even a matchmaker in-house, with her own private office, who helped people find their perfect mate, and, there was an extra special venue only members knew existed.

Behind a door marked with a pair of hearts and needing a member's keycard to enter, was a place where one could seek more intimate forms of entertainment. Behind the door any form of sex could be found and procured or sex rooms where one could indulge in their own form intimate behavior. The only rules that were strictly adhered to was whatever was done here must be consensual. Breaking that rule meant permanent banning from the club.

Jake loved this part of the Tiger's Lair offerings. Here he could explore and try to decide what it was he was looking for in a partner...whether male or female...he wasn't that picky...and be able to dump the stresses of his dangerous lifestyle for a time.

He already knew he wouldn't be using it tonight. Gennella was going home as fast as he could politely get her there then, maybe, he'd come back alone. He sighed and gave his date a quick look but she was still ignoring him. Taking a sip of his water, he let his mind continue to drift. He'd tried all the venues here, including the matchmaker. That worthy delivered a message that had made his fur stand on end.

_Staring him in the eyes, she said with complete sincerity, "You have already met your perfect mate. However, it will take a change of heart and mind by you and your partner to accept this person but once you do, you'll be happier than you'd ever dreamed you could be." Her small enigmatic smile when she'd finished, hadn't made him feel comforted. _

How did she know I even had a partner? That had worried him a bit. He had a feeling she wasn't your average matchmaker but then she wouldn't be if she worked here. Shaking his head, he paid her then made a hasty retreat. Unfortunately, her message left him no better informed than when he'd stepped into her office. Though she'd told him he'd already met his mate, she hadn't given him a clue who that might be and why his partner was part of this at all which left him still frustrated and looking.

Shoving aside his internal musings, he tried to focus on his date but she made that so hard. Gennella hadn't even noticed he'd not said a word nor looked at her for the past five minutes.

"Gennella?"

"Hmm . . . oh sorry, Jake, I'm just so excited . . . " she burbled, finally looking at him, eyes bright and wide.

"You need to look at the menu or would you like me to order for both of us?" Jake asked politely.

"Oh . . . " Blushing in embarrassment, the she-kat quickly picked up her menu and glanced over it then frowned. "I don't really know much about this type of food. Why don't you go ahead and order for us? I trust you to choose something that will blow my taste buds away," she said brightly, putting down the menu.

"Alright and what would you like to drink?"

"Uh . . . a white wine would be lovely," she said distractedly as she returned her attention to the room at large.

Sighing mentally, Jake signaled a waiter and put in their order, " . . . and a white wine for her and a beer for me."

"Very good, sir. I will have that right out in a moment," the waiter said, smiling and taking the menus before hurrying off.

With her attention gone again, Jake resigned himself to drinking his water and giving his date a more thorough look over.

She was certainly pretty enough with her copper hair that curled becomingly around her neck. With long haired, creme fur and brilliant copper eyes, she was easy to look at until she opened her mouth. She had chosen to wear a slinky blue sheath dress that clung becomingly to her lush curves and drew attention to her long neck with a pure zircon necklace and matching earrings. Adding a pair of black stiletto heels had made her look chic and sleek. Unfortunately, none of that could cover the fact she was a bit of an air head and had a motor mouth.

To be fair, she was in company she obviously wasn't used to and so was easily thrown by all the glitz and glamor of the crowd surrounding them so he wasn't certain what she might really be like in a more private setting but he didn't think he was interested enough to try and find out. As a matter of fact, he needed to find a way to be rid of her early because he would go mad listening to her much longer. However, his mother had drummed manners into him so he would at least offer to go dancing before ditching her.

Their waiter's return pulled Jake from his dreary thoughts, as he set their drinks before them. Jake wasted no time in downing nearly half of his while Gennella picked her wine glass up without once turning to speak to her date, her eyes roving restlessly.

Suddenly she squealed, but not too loudly, as her attention was grabbed by a pair of males being escorted to a table. "Ohh, look Jake! It's Jason Windborne!"

Jake sighed and obediently raised his eyes to watch as the two toms walked past and were seated at a table not far from them. He didn't care about the actor but did give Feral, who walked beside Windborne, a closer look. The Commander looked relaxed, though he wasn't smiling, as he took his seat facing the exit and window leaving his date to have his back to the room.

Can't dump those Enforcer reflexes in private, but then neither can I, as I'm sitting facing the exits too. What a pair we are, Jake thought, ruefully.

"Wow! Don't they make a handsome pair. Wish I could catch their eyes sometime," Gennella sighed wistfully, forgetting she was on a date and what she'd said could be considered rude but Jake hardly cared. He'd already decided he wasn't seeing her again.

The actor ignored all the whispering and staring, as did Feral, both far too used to this kind of attention to pay it mind. Tuning it out with practiced ease, the pair chatted and discussed their menu choices.

Jake was rather surprised to see how dressed down Feral was. His powerful form showed off all that firm muscle to good advantage in a tight pair of unpleated black slacks and a yellow polo shirt that had to have been custom fit for his broad chest. The collar was open, something Jake had never seen on the normally straight-laced tom, and his feet were shod in a very nice pair of black Sanderson Calf Wingtips.

Wow! He looked good! That thought made Jake blink in shock. Now why would I even look twice at my annoying nemesis? He thought, bewildered. He hurriedly returned his attention to his own date and stuffed that disturbing thought away then grimaced as he saw what his date was doing. Maybe Feral was distracting because my own date is making me soo embarrassed, he thought sourly.

Gennella was frankly staring at the pair making moon-calf eyes as she watched their every move. He sighed in relief when their waiter returned with an assistant in tow, carrying their meals. Their food was briskly and efficiently placed before them then the waiters made a polite retreat.

Thankfully, his date returned her attention to their table. There were several dishes with a variety of different offerings steaming within them. She eyed them in confusion. She tentatively reached for a plate from the small stack resting beside the bowls.

"I ordered a sampling of things I thought you might enjoy," Jake explained. He picked up a plate and spooned out small helpings of each offering then held the plate out to her. She smiled prettily, set her plate back down and accepted the one he gave her. He filled his plate with a more healthy amount then set to eating.

She'd only eaten a few bites of her Thai Red Chicken Curry before hurriedly laying her fork down and grabbing her water. Waving a paw before her suddenly sweating face, she stuttered, "Oh my, that's spicy!"

"That one is. If you don't like much heat, try the Coconut Soup or the Sukhothai Pad Thai," Jake suggested.

She studied what he'd pointed to and went for the Coconut Soup, ladling out a single spoonful into a bowl then putting a small amount in her mouth. A grimace crossed her face as she shoved the bowl aside and reached for her water again. Jake said nothing and hoped she'd try something else. She did but with much less enthusiasm.

Fortunately the Pad Thai was much more to her liking and she was soon finishing her helping and taking some more. Satisfied, she set her fork down and sipped her wine. "That was delicious but I'm sorry those other ones were just not to my liking."

"That's alright. Thai food isn't for everyone but I'm glad you found something you liked. Now the desserts here are truly extraordinary. I always have a hard time trying to pick just one," Jake said, smiling.

"Really? Can't wait to see for myself," Gennella said, more enthused. But while she waited for the dessert tray, her attention was back on people-watching, making no attempt to strike up a conversation with her date.

Jake rolled his eyes as he signaled a waiter for the dessert to be served. Wow, she is truly rude, he sighed mentally. That'll teach me to go for beauty before checking for brains first.

A half hour later, the disaster of a dinner finally over, he helped his date from her seat and escorted her toward the rear of the restaurant, planning on taking her to the dance club. Gennella was a bit reluctant to leave as she was having far too much fun looking at all the famous people but did follow him when it was obvious he wished to leave.

Stepping through a heavy door that kept the sound within, they were slammed with the hard-hitting beat of electro-funk. Jake loved this kind of music but it didn't take him long to realize Gennella didn't. She stared around apprehensively at all the wildly gyrating dancers and had her ears flat to her head, her expression less than thrilled to be here.

Sighing in resignation, Jake leaned close to his date and shouted, "Not your thing, huh?" She shook her head. "Okay, let me take you home then . . . " he said, then led her toward the exit. She resisted.

"No, it's okay. If this is what you like, we can stay," she said, but was less than enthused about it.

Jake shook his head and gently took her paw. Pulling her through the crowd and out a different door, he took her back out into the hall. It was quieter there so they could talk.

"There's more to do here so, since the dance club was not to your liking how about the casino for an hour or so?" Jake asked.

Gennella's eyes lit up. "Seriously? That would be mega-cool!"

"Great, let's go!" He walked her to the door that had a plaque with dice on it. Stepping inside they were greeted by noise and music and a broad carpeted foyer. Along the wall to their right were cashier cages, in front of this was the quieter gambling venues (poker, blackjack, etc.), to the left were dozens of aisles filled with slot machines.

Jake tugged Gennella along toward one of the cashiers, got a chit with over a $100 on it and handed it to her.

Her eyes widened in pleased surprise. "Ohhh . . . thanks . . . you are soo sweet!"

He smiled and shrugged. "I'm not much into this but go on and have fun. I need to use the restroom anyway. Be back in a bit."

"I will!" She said gaily, heading off for a bank of slot machines, her tail swishing with excitement.

Rolling his eyes, Jake sighed and went off in the other direction.


	4. Chapter 4

**SEEKING HAPPINESS**

**CHAPTER 4: A Plot is Uncovered**

Jake left by way of the door the two of them had entered and was out in the hall once more. The corridor was wide, covered in a thick, plush, green carpet that gave beneath his feet. Cherry wood paneling covered the walls giving it a warm quality aided by many medium-sized masterpieces in ornate frames placed every few feet to draw the eye and tell everyone this establishment had good taste. Four thick and ornately scrolled doors with elaborate gold handles led off to other venues offered by the club, each adorned with a stylish sign informing customers what they might find behind them.

The one he'd left had the familiar sign of a casino, down from it and across was a sign with the images of a pair of dancers signifying the way to the dance clubs. Across from that one was a plaque with two hearts, this was the sex club. He passed them by it and made for the sign at the end that displayed a table and chairs...the entry to the restaurant.

Pushing it open, he was greeted by soft music, ambient yellow light, and a thick red and gold patterned rug. This was a small T-shaped area that held the closed door of the kitchens on the right and the bathrooms on the left then guided patrons straight ahead to the restaurant proper.

He turned to the left to the restrooms. He could have used the one in the casino...after all a place like this had facilities in every section of it, however, Jake preferred quiet and less traffic when he did his personal business and the restaurant's restrooms provided that. He pushed the swing door open and stepped into silence. No one was in here at the moment.

As he made for the farthest corner of the bathroom, he gave the facility an appreciative look. Just like everything else at the Tiger's Club, its restrooms were high class with gold fixtures and completely private stalls and urinals. Humming to himself, he slipped inside and went about his business.

He wasn't alone long, though. The door swinging open and heavy steps following told him a large person had entered. Whoever it was went along the sinks and halted.

Jake frowned. The person did nothing. Was he combing his hair? No he'd hear that as his ears were very acute. Suspicious, he froze and made no noise of his own and waited. Only a few minutes later, another male entered, steps much lighter than the first. Neither spoke as the sound of a bathroom stall was heard to open and close. The stalls were padded to absorb sounds so complete privacy was assured but Jake heard, easily, the sound of a zipper then trickling noises. The zipper was heard again and the toilet was flushed. The lighter male left the stall and went to the sink, turning on the water. Jake used the cover of that to pull his feet up toward his chest.

During all this, the heavier male still had not moved from his position near the sinks. Jake's senses were on full alert. Something was up here and he wanted to know what it was. With ears pricked and tilted forward, he listened hard. The two males might be doing nothing more than primping before the mirrors but Jake had learned to trust his instincts, they weren't usually wrong. His suspicions were confirmed when the long silence was finally broken by one of the males.

"You got it?" A deep, rough voice asked, cold as a frosty morning.

"Yes. But how are you going to administer it?" The second voice was higher and had a fussier quality to it.

"Don't you worry about it..."

"Of course, I'll worry about it. He's not just some common tom! That mug is alive because of that damn uncanny luck he has and those hyper aware senses! You can't just slip something in his drink without him somehow becoming aware of it," the fussy voice snapped, nervous and exasperated.

"Calm down," the other warned, coolly. "You hired me because I'm good at what I do. Trust me, I've planned this carefully. Your target will never know he's been drugged because it's slow acting, odorless, and tasteless. Once ingested, it takes approximately two hours to show a reaction so he won't connect it with his meal and I'm already a part of the kitchen staff so doing the deed will be easy.

"You better hope not, he's far too dangerous with all his faculties intact," the lighter voice said, still not completely mollified.

The deeper voice chuckled.

"What's so funny?" The fussy male demanded, irritated.

"I had this sudden image of our target conking out right in the middle of performing with his latest date. Now that would put the topper on what else we plan for him, eh?"

The fussy fellow tittered. "Oh, yes, that would be perfect! The humiliation and trying to recover from it would help our cause a great deal." Then the guy sighed in regret. "Too bad, he isn't in the habit of using the facilities here for his new dates."

"Oh, I think he will this time," the deeper voice smirked. "His date has been flirting outrageously with him since they entered the place."

"That means nothing," the other dismissed the assumption with a snort.

The deep voice laughed again but there was a more darker tone to it. "It does when there's a touch of the new aphrodisiac added to his drug cocktail. Trust me, he won't be able to keep his paws off his date and once he passes out, the scene will be set for the press."

"But...he'll know he's been drugged! He'll start an immediate investigation that might find us!" The fussy tom exclaimed, alarmed.

"Easy...sure he'll know he's been slipped something but only much later when it's too late and the traces in his system are long gone. He'll not find the reason for what happened nor who was responsible. And by the time he is aware again, it will be too late to hide his humiliation," the cold voice assured his companion.

"Oh! Well that's good then. And if it all goes to plan, the first step to getting him removed from office will have begun. The boss will be pleased," the fussier tom's voice said with relief and satisfaction.

"Nothing will go wrong. But, we've been here too long already so give me the drug and leave. I'll handle the rest from here," the deep voice ordered, all business now.

"Certainly..." Silence fell...Jake had to assume the item was being handed over then the door swung open again, a burst of voices and serving noises filled the air for a moment then silence returned. The fussier tom had left.

The heavy one remained a few minutes longer then he too passed through the door, leaving Jake alone. Frowning, he set his clothes to right, flushed the toilet then slipped out of his stall and hurried, on light feet, to the door and peered out. He caught sight of the backside of a broadly built tom. The guy was six feet tall with neatly cut, dark brown hair that hung to the collar of his tan dress shirt that rose above his conservative brown business suit. His black oxford shoes made no sound as he reached the kitchen door and raised a huge hand to push it open and vanish inside. The last view Jake had was of a thick russet colored tail.

With the tom's departure from the scene, Jake left the rest room and walked down the short hall to the edge of the dining room. He paused to look around. He recognized many important people but the one he was most concerned about was still sitting and enjoying glasses of wine with his date. Frowning in thought, Jake moved back out of view so Feral wouldn't see him.

He stared at the kitchen door in frustration. He knew he couldn't follow the suspect into the kitchen as his presence would be immediately detected and cause a stir. There was no telling if his quarry would think he'd been followed or pass it off as a customer who had a complaint. Jake couldn't risk it.

Looking back at the dining room, he scowled as he realized he couldn't simply walk up to Feral and say his food was spiked when he couldn't actually swear it had been. Feral might believe him but it would also tip off the suspect that his plan had been detected and try again later. Though Feral would be on guard, that wouldn't stop whoever this was from making the attempt and perhaps hurting innocent bystanders.

There was also the small possibility that a different person was the victim, but Jake doubted it. The people he saw in the dining room weren't the type to cause criminals of this caliber trouble at all and none of them fit the description of being 'dangerous and hyper-alert' or fit the comment of 'removing the person from office' except for one...the Chief Enforcer.

It made perfect sense that some mob boss was planning a take over and the first obstacle to that was the Commander, the second was the SWAT Kats but none of the criminal element knew how to find them. He sighed and shook his head. It looked like he would have to pull Feral's tail out of the fire.

That amused him a bit. In their past, Jake would have let Feral sink or swim on his own. From what he'd heard, the only thing planned was humiliation not permanent harm and Feral had weathered far worse things in his life. But that had been then...now, he and T-Bone were more inclined to keep the big tom from harm of any kind and that was due to the three's more closer relationship during their hunt for the last of the omegas. They had grown to respect and even like each other a little. Besides, Feral was good for the city and he didn't deserve something like this after working so hard to save it.

Having come to a decision, Jake now had to figure out a way to aid the Commander. Looking around, he noted the table he and Genelle had used was just emptying of guests. Spotting the Maitre' D coming close, he grabbed the tom and whispered a request. A few minutes later, he was being reseated at his original table and served a bottle of beer. Sitting beside the window, his back to the wall, he watched Feral through the reflection of the glass beside the tom so it wouldn't appear as if he were staring at the Commander directly, then waited.

His timing was as good as ever. A waiter came out of the kitchen some ten minutes later and served a strange flaming concoction to Feral and his guest. The two laughed and blew out the flame together then began eating the delicacy at the same time.

Inwardly, Jake rolled his eyes. Oh joy, they'll _both_ be potted in a few hours. He didn't know what he was supposed to do with the actor. More problems. He took a moment to check his watch. It had been now forty minutes since he'd left his date alone in the casino. He winced. She may have already blitzed through the money he'd given her and be looking for him. Great!

Eyeing Feral critically, he estimated it would take the pair about another half hour to finish eating and leave so perhaps it was safe enough for him to leave and see what his date was up to. However, just in case the two left before he could get back, there was one more thing he could do.

Finishing his beer, he laid money on the table then got up. Carefully keeping his face averted, Jake passed close to Feral's table and lightly left a 'present' on the big tom's shoulder. He timed it so that Feral was turned toward his date and taking a bite of desert. It worked like a charm. Feral hadn't noticed at all.

Relieved, Jake continued on his way to the rear of the restaurant. Going back into the casino, he spent a frustrating fifteen minutes searching for his date. Perhaps he should put a locator on her too, he snorted to himself.

He finally found her playing at a slot machine near the back, chattering away to her neighbors who simply smiled vacantly at her from time to time, not really paying her any attention, while she pulled the lever over and over, not bothering to see if she won anything or not.

"Hi, how are you doing?" He asked, placing his paws on her shoulder and leaning close enough to be heard over the noise of the machines.

"Oh...Jake...it's been great and I'm having a wonderful time. Where have you been?" She asked brightly, turning to speak with him.

"Oh about, checking things out, playing here and there...win anything?" He asked, being deliberately vague.

"Well, I won sixty then lost that and won thirty and lost that...uhm..." she turned to stare at her machine a moment. "Oh, seems I've won another thirty."

"That's great. Do you want to go or continue playing here?"

"Well, I've been everywhere but this machine seems to be giving me the best luck, so I'll stay if you don't mind?"

Jake shrugged and gave her a weak smile. "Oh, no...not a problem. You go ahead and I'll check out the poker tables for a bit. See you soon."

"Sure, have a good time," she giggled, returning to her machine and pulling the lever.

Relieved his date was sufficiently entertained, Jake made his way out of the casino again. Out in the hall once more, he briskly hurried to the restaurant entrance. Pushing through the door, he was about to head toward the front when a familiar shape wended its way through the tables heading in his direction. Thinking fast, Jake hurried to the rest rooms just before Feral reached the hall.

Making for a nearby stall and shutting the door, Jake had managed to hide just as the door swung open. Noise and a burst of laughter filled the room before the door closed. Apparently, two people had come in and had gone into the stalls. Moments later, twin toilets flushed then the sound of a faucet being turn on was heard. Over the water noise, one of the males began chattering happily, the voice a bit giddy.

"I'm having a wonderful time Ulysses. How about we go dancing?"

"Sure, if you want...ballroom or techno?" Feral's familiar deep baritone asked.

"Oh techno! I want to feel the music in my body!"

Feral chuckled, the water turned off, and the pair went out again.

That was close but at least I know where they'll be for awhile, Jake thought, relieved. Okay, back to my date then I'll check on them in about an hour since that would be getting closer to when the drug would begin working. A sudden thought occurred to him and he rolled his eyes as he realized the pair would be horny by that time too if the aphrodisiac worked the way the guy said it would. That should be interesting. Sighing, Jake left and headed back to the casino. What an evening this is turning out to be, he thought, wryly.


	5. Chapter 5

**SEEKING HAPPINESS**

**CHAPTER 5: And Jake Makes Three**

Jake found Gennella gabbing with two young she-kats while still cranking away at her machine. The three were acting as if they'd been friends for years. Who knows . . . they could be, after all he didn't know much about his date.

"Hey . . . " he said loud enough to be heard over the bells and rings of the machines. The two young females gave him wide, appreciative smiles as Gennella turned to smile up at him.

"Oh, Jake! Look who I found here . . . this is my friend Tara and her friend Linda . . . "

"How do you do?" Jake said politely.

"We do fine now that you've joined us," Tara purred, batting her lashes at him.

"Tara! Stop flirting with my date," Gennella said, laughing and giving her friend a light punch to the shoulder.

"Ah . . . Gel . . . I'm not poaching but he is one fine looking tom," Tara laughed back.

Jake had a hard time keeping from rolling his eyes. Ah geez, how will I get her out of here now? He wondered. By now he'd had his fill of his date and just wanted rid of her.

"I hope you all are having a good time?" He asked, just for something to say while he tried to come up with a way to get out this.

"Oh, yes, but I should be getting home. I work early . . . " Gennella started to say, regret in her voice.

"I'd be happy to stay and keep you company . . . " Linda suggested before Gennella could finish her sentence, which garnered the cheeky she-kat an unfriendly look. Tara poked her friend but it appeared the female was unrepentant because she seemed to be waiting for an answer.

"I'm honored to be asked, however, I was taught not to abandon a date, so no thank you," Jake said diplomatically. The she-kat pouted and it didn't look that pretty on her. "If you're ready to leave, Gennella, I'd be happy to take you home now," he went on smoothly.

Gennella smiled gratefully and shot the other female a cold look as she got to her feet and slipped her arm through the one Jake offered her. They walked briskly away but Jake easily heard Linda say, "Wish I could land a tom with such good manners . . . "

"You might if you had better manners yourself . . . " her friend snapped.

Jake was glad he could no longer hear the conversation. He was certain it would degenerate into a fight soon.

It didn't take him long to escort Gennella outside the club and get her into his jeep. Though he felt a sense of urgency to return, he still drove at a sedate easy rate and allowed Gennella to rattle on about her friends, the slot machines, how much she was making then lost, and how upset she was about that female's behavior.

Jake was ever so glad to reach her apartment building and end the torment of hearing her voice any longer. He even walked her to the door of the lobby but she didn't insist on him seeing her to her apartment.

"I don't allow anyone to my door that I don't know well," she apologized.

"Actually, that is a very sensible and smart thing to do, Gennella," Jake said, sincerely. She might seem like an air head but she did have some sense about her, he was relieved to note.

She smiled warmly then nodded and went inside. He was very glad she didn't ask for a repeat date nor a kiss. As soon as he saw her enter the elevator he was running to his vehicle, hopping aboard, and doing a rapid U-turn to race back to the club. His mind was now focused solely on getting back to Feral, hoping nothing bad had happened to the big tom while he'd been away.

*o*o*o*o*

Arriving back at the club, the valet didn't even do a double take. It wasn't unusual for some of their members to return. He just took the keys Jake tossed to him and drove the car off.

Jake hurried inside and took a different entry point. The main entrance showcased the restaurant but it had a large lobby with a door marked the same as the hallway behind the eatery that allowed members to go directly to those venues. Except for the sex club. One still had to go through the dance club to get there but that suited Jake perfectly. Pulling out his locator, he followed the signal through the gyrating dancers of the techno side of the dance club.

The signal showed Feral was somewhere at the back of the club but not out in the hall. Good! Before he made for the tom, Jake pulled out a mask from his pocket and put it on. This didn't make him unusual. Many of the patrons were masked. It was to add mystery or hide identity if a person was well known and wanted anonymity. In this case, Jake just didn't want to get into an argument with Feral about why he was following him.

Thus disguised, he continued on, however, it was like an obstacle course getting to that part of the club. Jake was accosted many times by both females and males as he tried to pass through the packed dance floor. By the time he got to the far wall, he was rather flustered and disheveled.

He was straightening his shirt that an over affectionate male had tried to pull off him when a paw grabbed his arm. Sighing mentally, he turned to say he wasn't interested when he came face to face with the actor, Jason Windborne. Oh good, I found them! He thought then immediately felt really uncomfortable.

Windborne was devouring him with hot, eager eyes but it was Feral's expression that made Jake feel like a deer-in-headlights. The big tom was literally undressing him with his eyes and the promise of something dark and deadly shone there that made Jake's body fire up and take notice.

Oh hell no! He thought in a panic. All his reactions were off as he failed to fight the hard pull Windborne gave his arm that dragged him against the lighter tom's chest.

"Well, what have we here . . . " he purred hotly. "Look, Ulysses, I've found us a playmate."

"Hmm, yes . . . he looks perfect, Jason," Feral rumbled deep in his chest.

The sound went straight to Jake's groin. He'd never heard Feral's voice get that deep before nor dreamed it could affect him this way. He'd thought that brief flare of attraction in the restaurant had been a fluke but being this close and seeing those gold eyes hold desire for him had sent all sense from him.

Before he knew what was happening, he was suddenly sandwiched between the two males. Feral had slid around his date and come up behind Jake, arms wrapping around the cinnamon tom's waist and hugging him close. He lowered his head down and nuzzled Jake's neck sending hot shivers down the smaller tom's spine.

Crud! How did I get into this? Jake thought frantically as he felt Feral's enormous tool pressing against his spine showing just how turned on the big tom was. Should he try to escape or go along with this? Are you crazy? This is what I've been needing for a long time. While he argued with himself, Feral was making it harder for Jake to refuse what was being offered. Yeah, he knew the two were drugged to the eyeballs but it still couldn't turn off his hormones.

"How about it handsome? Want to come play with us," Feral purred seductively.

Jake shivered with lust at the feel of that purr through his back. Oh crud...Feral is soo hot! And it didn't help I haven't had anyone that made me feel this heated either.

Apparently, his lack of answer and his body's positive response was enough for the pair to think he was amendable to their attentions. With their arms firmly holding each of his, Jake found himself being shuffled along to the hall then onward to the sex club. It was Feral who produced a keycard and pushed open the door.

Once inside, they were greeted by a polite, well-dressed tom whose job was to see that members got whatever they needed and to insure no coercion was used.

"A private room, toys, no BDSM, shower," Feral said in machine gun fashion.

Obviously, he was very familiar with what they offered here, Jake realized rather dazedly, still not resisting the two toms, rather forceful, attentions.

"Of course, sir. But first, I must ask if each of you has consented to this arrangement," he asked politely but firmly.

For a second, it seemed Feral was a bit thrown by the question, the drug obviously making him slow and confused but he quickly rallied and said, "Yes."

The greeter nodded but pointedly stared at the other two males. Windborne didn't hesitate. "Oh yes, definitely." Now it was Jake's turn. Finally getting a pause to think, he turned his head to stare at Windborne then up at Feral and came to a decision.

"Yes." After all, how better to monitor the pair than to be with them. However, he hoped they didn't pass out before the good stuff was done. He'd hate to get all heated than be disappointed when the other part of the drug crashed the party.

Satisfied by their answers, the greeter nodded and turned to a board behind him. "We have just the room for you." He turned back and handed a key to Feral. "Have a good evening, sirs."

Feral nodded briskly then turned toward another door that led into a hall filled with doors. Halfway down, he found their room and using the key, opened it.

Inside was a beautifully appointed space. A huge bed dominated it and there were four wooden cabinets along one wall. One held whatever was needed and the other three were closets for each guests belongings. Off to the left was a huge bathroom with large Jacuzzi tub and walk-in shower for water play if that was desired.

Windborne closed the door and locked it. Feral hung the key on a hook meant for it just beside the door itself. This prevented its loss . . . a smart idea.

Without warning, Windborne pulled Jake close and kissed him enthusiastically. It was okay, but it did nothing for the masked tom but before he could gently push the actor away, he found himself being turned about and another set of lips pressed against his.

Feral sent Jake's body into overdrive as he took command of Jake's mouth and made love to it in a way the smaller tom had not experienced before. Wow! What a kisser! Who knew! This is what I was missing," Jake thought deliriously.

Deprived of Jake's mouth and definitely not willing to fight Feral for it, Windborne settled for touching, caressing hardening cocks, then working at getting them all undressed.

The next hour became a jumble in Jake's mind. He remembered kisses, caresses, naked bodies rubbing each other and cocks being sucked or tugged on. The sounds, smells and cries of pleasure peppered the room, intensifying the experience. He hadn't done a threesome before and was really enjoying it though he had to admit, Feral's attention was more his speed. The actor wasn't much of an experienced lover but did his best to make the activity more interesting.

So far Jake had sucked on Feral's massive tool and Windborne but between the two of them Feral won paws down. He had a thing for big cocks and Feral was the largest he'd seen. Windborne wasn't bad though he wasn't as dynamic in bed. Both he and Feral ended up making a sandwich of the male much to the actor's surprised delight.

Jake had been pleasantly surprised when Feral deferred to him in taking Windborne for a ride while he chose to suck the actor's cock instead. Apparently, not all Feral's normal caution was gone due to the drug. Though it was very obvious, he wanted to sink himself into the actor, he knew more prep was needed or he would hurt the tom so allowed Jake that honor.

When they had thoroughly drained and sated the actor, only then did they go for each other. Jake was pushed to his max by Feral's very experienced touches and active tongue. By the time the big tom had finished preparing him, Jake was a pile of goo and very hot and needy. He was already on his paws and knees and squirming under Feral's tongue rimming him thoroughly.

"Get on with it!" Jake cried, hot and anxious to be ridden.

"Ahh, needy are we?" Feral purred as he kneaded Jake's cock.

"Yessss...ahhhh..." Jake came with a shout and spurt his cream all over the sheets beneath him.

Panting frantically, he was still semi-hard and dying to have that hard cock driving into him. He whimpered excitedly when he felt that huge body loom over him and the cock nudge his hole then it fell all to pieces when the body above him collapsed and sent him flat to the bed's surface with a woof of expelled air.

Stunned, Jake lay there for a moment trying to figure out what had happened when it clicked in his brain. Damn! Frantically, he wiggled his way out from beneath Feral's unconscious body and ran naked to the door. Leaning his head against it, he didn't hear anything but he knew it wouldn't be long before the one who'd drugged the pair would be here.

Face gone cold with anger and frustration, Jake quickly got dressed and went to stand behind the door to wait. He stared over at the bed with regret. Damn, and to think I was about to get laid good and proper tonight, he sighed.

Suddenly, there was a soft click. The door opened a small crack. The one behind it was apparently casing the area first then the door opened the rest of the way and a big tom hurriedly stepped in. As he closed and locked the door, only then did the big tom see the stranger standing there.

Jake let him have it. With all the frustration he had built up from the interrupted sex, Jake laid into the male. Surprise was on his side besides his SWAT Kat abilities so the male went down but soon recovered from his shock and retaliated.

Jake had a battle on his paws. The pair rolled to their feet and had at it. Jake, being faster and lighter, managed to land many solid blows though his opponent did manage to send him flying across the room to land on top of the sleeping pair on the bed. He quickly recovered and rolled off to land on his feet again. As the other male came lunging for him, Jake launched himself into the air and sent both feet into the other's chest.

The male went flying to the far wall. He tried to get to his feet but Jake was already there landing a stiff upper cut to the thick jaw, sending the tom into dreamland finally.

Catching his breath, Jake rolled his antagonist over then looked around for something to tie the guy up. He found rope used in sex play in the cabinet and quickly tied the tom's wrists behind his back then tied the ankles to the wrists, effectively making a bow of the tom. Leaving the male to recover consciousness on his own, Jake went to check on the pair on the bed.

Both were breathing slow and deep but there was no sign they would wake yet. He had no idea how long it would take but he remembered the guy had said the pair would wake and be caught in a compromising situation. That suggested the drug was short lived as he wanted them found here.

Frowning, Jake returned to the prisoner and searched him. Blinking in confusion, he found a camera, ropes (that annoyed him as he could have used these rather than hunt for some), and gags. What the heck? BDSM wasn't that unusual here either though he had no idea if Feral was into it. What was the guy's game? None of this made sense!

Sex couldn't be used to humiliate Feral as this was a venue for that and the tom was known to do both sexes. Though it wasn't usual for him to bring a first time date here that didn't mean he couldn't change his mind. So how did this guy think he could do Feral's image harm here? What was he missing?

Feeling he could be running out of time, Jake hurriedly went back to the pair on the bed and studied them more closely. What was he missing here? He looked Windborne over carefully. He didn't find anything unusual, no markings, tats, odd deformities . . . nothing. Shaking his head, he did the same examination of Feral. Except for lots of scars which were normal for an Enforcer, Jake couldn't find anything on him either. That is, until he accidently nearly rolled Feral off the bed when he flipped the tom to his back. The tom's legs splayed wide with one falling off the bed leaving his crotch obscenely displayed.

Shaking his head, Jake grabbed the fallen leg and raised it to put on the bed. That's when his eyes saw something unusual.

What the heck is that? He put the leg down and looked closer. Gently lifting the male equipment upward he stared in disbelief at what he saw. Suddenly a possible scenario flashed in his head. Disgust and fury followed. If the ones this guy worked for needed proof of what they knew or suspected about Feral, this set up would give them that.

Yeah, Feral would be humiliated since Jake suspected no one knew except for family and medical. Though he doubted it would be enough to push Feral from office . . . there the mob had made an idiot mistake. They must be really wanting the Commander ousted to try something this stupid.

Doesn't matter, this was a serious situation and he was the only one to prevent it from getting out so he had to insure this guy didn't get what he came for and that he was scared enough not to make another attempt.

Though he hadn't wanted to implicate himself in all this, to spare Feral such a nasty reveal and constant future difficulties because of it, he would do what he needed to and damn the consequences. But first, he needed to see if what he suspected was, in truth, the facts.

A groan drew his attention to the prisoner regaining consciousness on the floor. Jake quickly let go of Feral's genitals and pulled the leg to hide the tom's secret. Just to be safe, he grabbed the sheet from the floor and flipped over the two males before stalking toward the recovering male.

The tom was attempting to roll over, anger and surprise on his face. With one paw, Jake snatched the male up by his shirt front. The tom angrily stared at the masked tom.

"What did you intend to do to Feral? Tell me!" Jake demanded coldly, shaking the tom like a rag doll.

The tom simply sneered at Jake, opting not to speak. Knowing he had to do something quick, Jake snarled in annoyance, dropped the prisoner then pulled a mini-version of his glovatrix from a hidden pocket in the back of his pants and slipping it on.

In one smooth motion, he selected a weapon that wouldn't bring the calvary but should scare this guy enough to get some answers. He fired a small electro burst above the tom's head. Its nimbus sent tendrils of electricity out from around it sending the tom into brief spasms of pain before expending its main energy into the wall itself.

Panting and eyes wide, the guy gaped at Jake who came up and knelt by the guy's head. Leaning down, he hissed, "If you don't want a sample of that sent directly into your hide then you better be quick with some answers. What did you intend to do with Feral and that other guy?"

"What's a SWAT Kat doing here?" The guy countered angrily. "You'll do more harm being caught here than anything we planned," he added.

Growling angrily, Jake shoved his glovatrix into the tom's face and watched the eyes widen with respect and only a little fear. A real tough guy this was.

"Listen up you creep! They didn't know who I was . . . I'm just a guy in a mask as far as they know, so you can't use that. Besides if you even mention I was here you're dead."

The guy went silent and appeared to weigh his options. If he was a professional, hopefully he had more sense then to throw his life away on a plan gone wrong but if he was a member of the mob, he might be stupid enough to do that. Jake waited to see which was the case.

"Fine. I don't need to mix it up with the SWAT Kats. Rumor had it the Commander had something rather unusual about him that could be used as leverage to get him out of office," the guy said coolly.

"And what was that?"

The guy shrugged. "I was told it was something no one could miss. I was to find it then insure it was plainly obvious that no one could mistake what it was."

"You're being deliberately vague . . . " Jake warned, pressing the weapon even closer to the guy's face.

The guy wasn't buying the act completely or he was just that cold but he didn't do more than flinch a little and shake his head. "I've told you exactly what I was told, no more. I don't have a clue what it is I'm supposed to find but my contact clearly did and said I wouldn't have any difficulty figuring it out for myself."

Jake pulled back. This was better than he hoped. Whoever his contact was, that person was the only one to know Feral's secret. "Who's your contact?"

The guy rolled his eyes. "Come on SWAT Kat. I'd be dead if I gave that away forcing you to kill me first and I don't think you want that on your paws. It just makes things a bit too . . . messy . . . don't you think?"

Jake hated the fact the guy was right. Scowling, he thought a moment then asked "So if you found your proof what were you supposed to do next?"

The guy shrugged though that was difficult the way he was trussed up. "I was supposed to pose the actor over the Commander, don't ask me why, then take pictures of what I found then of the two in that position. Then I was to contact the press and have them appear. I would leave the photos pinned to the wall then leave before anyone saw me. That's it."

"When are they supposed to wake up?"

The guy glanced over to the bed. "What time is it?"

Jake checked his watch and told him. The guy thought a moment. "Should be coming around in about another thirty minutes or so."

"Good!" With no warning, Jake shot a gas capsule off in the guy's face. He was out like a light in seconds.

Okay, so now I have to sit around and wait for Feral to wake up . . . what fun, he thought ruefully going to the bed and taking a seat to wait then decided he should strip his clothes off and hide his weapon again, wouldn't do to be found with that.


	6. Chapter 6

**SEEKING HAPPINESS**

**CHAPTER 6: Secrets to be kept**

While he waited, Jake realized the insulation in these rooms had to be amazing. Which was a good thing since the bad guy's body hitting the wall then an electro shock missile striking it, hadn't drawn any unwanted attention.

He sighed and stared up at the ceiling for a bit. He had nothing to do and he hated waiting. Glancing down next to him, he studied Feral. The tom had been a surprise...a nice one.

Jake reached out a tentative paw and caressed the thick chest fur. He hadn't had much time in the first rushes of desire to just study his temporary lover. Feral had been incredible and he was miffed that he didn't get to experience the full effect such a tom could render.

He started in surprise at that realization. Did this mean he really had a thing for the Enforcer or was it just lust? Should he pursue this to see? Dare he risk it? What the hell would Feral think if he ever discovered who he'd had sex with and, anyway, did he think Jake was good too or had it just been the drug in his system? Wait, I'm wearing a mask so he'll think I'm Razor. Oh...this just gets better and better.

Why the hell am I asking these things anyway? He demanded of himself. re you that hard up for someone? The answer was a resounding 'YES'. And, because he's really fantastic in bed, he admitted to himself then snorted and shook his head. I have to be crazy thinking this but I want to find out what it could be like between us if we see this little scenario out. After that, who knows.

Sighing he shook his head again. Yeah, I must be certifiable to be even considering it but I'll try anything to get out of the funk I'm in...even taking on Feral in bed. A huge grin split his face as he thought, if Chance learns of this he'll think I've gone insane. Suddenly, a rumble of sound felt through his paw and heard with his ears, made him jerk his head toward Feral's face.

"Uhhh...my head..." Feral groaned again, dragging his arm upward. Jake quickly removed his paw before the tom encountered it. Rubbing his face, Feral blinked and tried to get his bearings.

"Hello Commander," Jake said lightly. He looked past Feral to note the actor was still out cold and so was the criminal. That was good. Now he and the Commander could talk in private.

Feral blinked up at the masked face staring down at him. "What the hell happened?"

"You and Windborne were drugged."

The big tom's eyes widened then narrowed in fury. He struggled to sit up but his limbs weren't responding quite yet. Jake gave him a hand up then steadied Feral with an arm behind the tom's back to help him sit.

"Who are you?"

"Do you remember anything?" Jake countered.

Feral frowned in thought and rubbed his head. Then he eyed the tom beside him again. "Yesss ... a little ... uh ... Jason and I finished dinner, went dancing then things began to get muddled a bit ... but then I remember getting somewhat heated sexually which is unusual for me on a first date ... I should have realized something was up when Jason also began being a bit pushy for sex. He wanted me but he knew the rules ... but all my inhibitions seemed to have flown ... then we decided to find a room ... we spotted you and coaxed you to join us then we were here ...," his voice drifted off as more of his mind returned to reality. Things weren't adding up here.

His eyes narrowed as he began to realize the guy sitting next to him didn't behave drugged, there was a kind of authority around the tom that had led Feral to automatically report what had happened without stopping to wonder why he should be confiding in a stranger. He had the strange impression this fellow seemed to know more about what went on than he did and it didn't sit well with him.

"How is it you know we were drugged and why weren't you as well?" He asked, suspicious now and growing angry.

"Because I was in the right place at the right time to hear that guy on the floor over there and some other person plot to knock you out...no..." Jake raised a paw to forestall Feral interrupting, "...they didn't give your name but you were the only one in the dining room that fit their description of the victim. So the perpetrator put something in your dessert in the kitchen. He wasn't the one who served it to you. To insure you didn't leave the club, he'd added an aphrodisiac chaser."

"Huh? Why did they want to keep me here? If it was to implicate me in something undesirable that would humiliate me in some way, they certainly picked the wrong venue for it." Feral was quick to see the implications but it still left him confused.

"I agree because, hello, this _is_ a sex club. So I had to do a little investigating to find the answer while you guys were knocked out." Feral blanched. "Yeah, I'm truly sorry about discovering that little fact about you but it gave me a solid clue as to what they could have intended and I got it confirmed when I questioned that chump on the floor. He admitted he was supposed to find this odd thing about you, photograph it, then place Windborne on you in such a way that what he was doing and where he was doing it showed the difference in you very plainly. Truly nasty bit of blackmail they hoped would force you out of office or at the very least, make you want to retire yourself," Jake summarized.

Feral looked disgusted. "They actually thought that would work?"

"Hey..." Jake shrugged, "...no one said they were smart."

The big tom scowled but there was a hint of unease in those golden eyes. "Did he learn what I am?"

"No...I stopped him in time and he wasn't told by the one who hired him who obviously does know."

"You know a lot about what was going on but why did you voluntarily take it upon yourself to rescue me? And why didn't' you just warn me if you knew? Further, how did you question the prisoner so well that he gave you answers? From the looks of him, he's a professional and not inclined to just give answers easily..." Feral paused and stared at the tom laying on the floor thoughtfully then eyed the tom beside him again, "...though it appears you got the upper paw so who the hell are you anyway?"

"To answer your questions from last to first ... look above the guy's head ...what do you see?" Jake countered.

Irritated, his head still pounding, Feral nonetheless did as asked and peered more closely at the wall in question. What he saw made him suck in a breath then jerk his head back to the tom now smirking at him.

"Fuck...Razor?!"

Razor snorted in amusement. "Yeah, I really wished you had..."

Feral blinked in confusion a moment at that odd statement before a strange look passed thought his eyes, "...uh...bad timing?"

"Yeah, really bad timing. He conked out first..." Razor indicated Windborne, "...then when you were just about to do the deed, you keeled over. Very disappointing since you were so good up to that point even drugged as you were." His voice clearly showing how disappointed he was about that.

Feral blinked at the masked tom in surprise and felt a bit odd. Razor thought I was hot and liked what we were doing? Then he winced...crud my head is splitting. I can't think about that right now, the creep on the floor is more important. "Kat's Alive! Is there something here for a splitting headache?" He asked aloud.

"There should be ... just a sec and I'll look," Razor got off the bed and checked the cabinet nearby. "Ah hah!" He extracted a bottle and water, returning to the bed and extending them out to the suffering tom. "Here you go."

"Thanks." Feral gratefully took four tablets and downed them with water. He eyed the tom standing beside the bed and noticed for the first time he was still naked and really great to look at. Wow! He's built for someone so small but then he'd have to be. Enough of that, get your head back to business.

"Start from the beginning and tell me how you got involved in all this," he ordered. It took effort to not simply ogle the body standing at ease in front of him and to listen to the report instead.

"It was your lucky day I guess but then that's the story of your life, eh?" Razor snorted in amusement then went on in a more serious vein. He filled Feral in on everything that had happened since they both entered the club a few hours earlier.

"...so I took my date home and came back as fast as I could and you know the rest..." Razor summed up.

"Not exactly. You haven't covered the conversation you had with the punk on the floor," Feral pointed out.

"It wasn't much of a conversation per se...I asked what he was up to and after some persuasion he told me he'd been hired to find out what made you different, note what he found, and act accordingly. When I pressed him on how much his contact told him, he just shrugged and said, the guy might know what it was he was supposed to find but he never told him. And he wasn't about to give up the guys name despite my obvious threats."

The big tom frowned and stared at the far wall for some moments, in thought. Razor let him be though he felt time passing them by rather quickly and thought they should be figuring out what to do next before either of the other two males awakened.

"I can't for the life of me figure out who could be behind this," Feral admitted, more to himself than Razor.

"An old lover, perhaps?"

The big tom grimaced, but had to agree he was probably right. "Possible ... but ... guess I'm going to have to check old flames ... how annoying..."

"Though unlikely, it could have been a disgruntled relative or medico...however, I'm thinking it's a former lover since that's the usual instigator for something stupid and vindictive like this," Razor observed.

Feral paused in his own ruminations as something struck him ... Razor seemed to be far too familiar with how a criminal mind worked and sounded as if he'd dealt with such things before. Since he'd only seen the SWAT Kat fighting omegas and not stooping to interfere with normal criminals, just how did he become so knowledgeable? Had he been an enforcer? Or had taken such training and was kicked out ... wait! It was then he had an epiphany. He'd always suspected and was fairly convinced in the last few years that he knew exactly who the SWAT Kats were. This last bit of information nailed the confirmation.

He wanted to shout 'Ah Hah!' and pin the SWAT Kat down with the facts but, unfortunately, this other problem took precedence much to his disgust. So let me get this issue dealt with then we'll see what we'll see, he promised himself.

Pushing that from his mind though it was hard to bury his giddiness at learning he was right about them, he sighed and rubbed his still abused head. "I have no clue who that would be." Feral sighed and rubbed his head to ease the ache. The aspirin hadn't got to it yet. "Anyway, he didn't get what he came for so thank you for that," he said reluctantly, feeling strange thanking a SWAT Kat.

Razor grinned. "You're welcome. I know you want it kept private but really they have to be very stupid to think that alone would get you out of office."

Feral rolled his eyes and the two shared a look of understanding and disgust at how dense the criminal element could be.

"So have you been able to do something to keep the creeps mouth shut on the subject even though he really doesn't have a clue as to what he's keeping secret about?" Feral asked, a hint of humor over the situation lacing his voice.

"Yeah, he doesn't want to cross a SWAT Kat, however, I couldn't get him to give up his contact. Apparently, fear of retribution from that direction is stronger than my threat of instant death." Razor seemed put out about that fact.

"You can thank your reputation of non-lethal fighting methods for that," Feral chuckled darkly.

Jake just rolled his eyes though Feral couldn't see it behind the mask. "So what do we do now?"

Feral frowned at the pair of still unconscious toms. "Hmm, I would have thought Jason would have been waking by now..."

"He either got more of the drug or its just because he's lighter than you that he's still out," Razor observed. From the floor there was groan. "Our prisoner, on the other paw, is waking up." He went over to the guy and squatted down to check him out.

The prisoner's eyes opened and he scowled at the remembered face that had put him here in the first place. "Would have thought I'd be in Enforcer custody by now," he growled.

Razor didn't answer, glancing up at Feral instead questioningly.

"Yeah, probably should except I don't want Jason caught up in any scandal. Wasn't his fault being here, after all."

"I could go out and summon help from the staff?" Razor offered. "They know how to be very discreet, especially if they know what went on and why secrecy must be maintained."

"Good idea and you're right. They are very good at that. Go ahead. But how are you going to keep from becoming known as well?"

Razor snorted. "They don't know it's me. I'm just some tom with a mask on. I certainly didn't come in here in my g-suit." He went to the closet, got his clothes, and quickly dressed.

Feral watched him and had to admit he didn't look like anything more than a nicely dressed and good looking tom with a mask but it also gave him even more proof of who he truly was as he'd seen Clawson dressed that way before just earlier that evening.

The tom might not have thought Feral had noticed him in the restaurant but he had and noticed the date Jake had said he'd been with. As an Enforcer with a lot of enemies, Feral made it a habit to check out any place he went for trouble. Obviously, Jake did the same which is how they both knew the other was there.

This eased his mind at allowing Jake to handle this problem with the club staff. Though he and the tom still had a bad history between them, he knew they'd forged a bond of near friendship between himself and their other personas. They no longer saw each other as enemies which he was glad since this situation was dealing with things of a very personal nature and he knew Jake would not blab about it to anyone not even his partner if Feral didn't want him to.

Trying to relax so his head would feel better, Feral sat slumped shouldered, paws between his bare thighs, and breathed slowly in and out. He did, however, he glare, with annoyance, at the fool on the floor. Who could have put this idiot up to doing this? It bothered him some ex-lover could be that pissed with him. He couldn't recall having any bad breakups...this was going to bug him for a while. He decided questioning the prisoner wouldn't get him any new information. If Jake couldn't scare the contact's name out of him then Feral didn't' think he'd have any better success which was the pits because it would take a long time for him to figure out the true culprit in all this.

"You seem awfully calm, Commander. Aren't you worried I'll tell the press about you and Razor?" the tom on the floor commented, wiggling a bit to ease his cramped limbs.

"No one would believe you and there's nothing else to get excited about. Whatever the fool who hired you thought he was getting out of this, he failed miserably and it wouldn't have mattered if you'd succeeded either. I wouldn't have liked it, but it wouldn't have made any difference. You just wasted your time."

The prisoner rolled his eyes and smirked. "No, _he_ wasted his time. I got paid and that's all that matters to me but there's always a chance the press might believe me about Razor."

Feral narrowed his eyes at the criminal who simply started back unafraid. He seemed genuinely interested in knowing what the Commander would do if he blabbed. Sighing, Feral wanted to simply smack him one but answered instead.

"No one saw him here. As he said, he's not in his g-suit so who would know he's anything but a tom in a mask? There are a lot of people wearing one you know. And even if you told, I could innocently report that I had no idea of his identity until after I regained consciousness, which is the truth."

The criminal nodded his head. "Then I won't say anything as it won't gain me any profit."

And that was apparently that, much to Feral's bemusement. But professionals had their own set of rules and breaking them lost them business because no one would trust them any longer. So he knew the creep wouldn't say Razor was here nor would bother to tell about the contract he'd taken. This relieved Feral's mind. The guy was definitely a profiteer and not part of whatever his contact's grudge was about. That made things a little easier and manageable all around.

Now he just needed to get dressed and get himself and Jason out of here quietly. The odd business between he and Jake would have to wait for later when they were alone.


End file.
